We are a little over a year away until the highly anticipated release of Star Wars: Episode VIII. The film, which will follow the stories of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron, has managed to keep many of the components under wraps. Since production on the film began, we have seen little to nothing regarding the movie. Sure, we know Mark Hamill will return as Luke Skywalker, and of course, new favourites like BB-8 will return, but as for the story? We do not know much.

Making Star Wars seems to have some unique and exclusive details regarding three new characters for Episode VIII. One of the sequel’s biggest additions is Benecio del Toro. Little is known about the role, but he has been given the role of the film’s villain, according to The Wrap. The Guardians of The Galaxy actor is described by the website as a “classic “man in black.”” The site continues:

He wears all black and he’s dangerous. His character is clean shaven with hair not unlike Poe Dameron’s in length. It doesn’t appear the heroes see del Toro as a bad guy, at least not at first. We think he’s connected to the casino set we talked about sometime ago.

del Toro was not the only Oscar calibre actor to have joined the new movie, with Jurassic Park star, Laura Dern joining the sequel. Like del Toro, not much is known about Dern. Many theorised that she is playing Rey’s mother, but the new character description avoids that idea. Making Star Wars states:

The most bombastic of the new characters from the rumors we’ve heard. She is very aristocratic and fancy in a way we haven’t really seen in Star Wars before. Her look is unique. Someone compared her design to The Hunger Games meets Star Wars. Dern wears a “fancy” dress and her hair is like something out of the prequels. The biggest defining detail of this new character played by Laura Dern is that she has pink hair in Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Perhaps the most unknown actress in the film is Kelly Marie Tran. Like Daisy Ridley, her first real film experience will be in a Star Wars movie. According to the website, nothing is really known about her character, except that she will somehow find a way to enter the life of John Boyega’s Finn. Making Star Wars summarised her character by saying:

She’s just very normal looking but her situation [with Finn] is supposedly really cool.

I for one simply cannot wait until Episode VIII hits theatres. It was around this time back in 2014 that we were told the official title for the new movie, so maybe, Disney has a surprise for us again? Rogue One: A Star WarsStory is just around the corner… But, anyway, what do you guys think of all this? Are you excited for the next chapter in the Star Wars saga?

Rogue One hits theatres everywhere on December 17, with Episode VIII set to hit everywhere on December 15, 2017.